3DS SD Card Format | How to Reformat 3Ds SD Card

What's 3DS SD Card File System

If you're planning to upgrade your 3DS handheld's micro SD card from a smaller size to a larger one, such as from 16GB to 32GB or 32GB to 64GB, it's crucial to know the file system used by your SD card. Currently, Nintendo products, including the New Nintendo 3DS, support SD/microSD cards up to 2GB and SDHC/microSDHC cards up to 32GB that are pre-formatted with the FAT32 file system. This means that any micro SD card larger than 32GB, even if it's formatted with FAT32, will not be compatible with your 3DS handheld.

The overall requirements of 3DS are summed up into:

• Memory cards with a capacity equal or less than 32GB;
• Formatted to the FAT32 file system.

That is to say, SDXC and fast-To make the 3DS system read an SD card over 32GB, you need to reformat it to FAT32. This is because the 3DS system is not compatible with UHS-type memory cards, which are typically used for larger storage capacities.

Nintendo consoles require SD and SDHC cards to be formatted in FAT32, so it's essential to check if your memory cards come pre-formatted and if they need to be formatted out of the box. Memory cards are typically formatted with various standards, including FAT32, which is required for Nintendo consoles.

How to Reformat 3DS SD Card with High Capacity to FAT32

The microSD cards have been tested and proven to work perfectly with the Nintendo 3DS, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted gaming experience.

• 1. SanDisk Extreme microSDHC

16GB: SDSDQXL-016G-A46A
32GB: SDSDQXL-032G-A46A

• 2. SanDisk Extreme PLUS microSDHC

16GB: SDSDQX-016G-A46A
32GB: SDSDQX-032G-A46A

• 3. SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDHC

16GB: SDSDQXP-016G-A46A
32GB: SDSDQXP-032G-A46A

• 4. Toshiba microSDHC

8GB: PFM008U-1DCK

• 5. Samsung

...

You can make any SD card work on a handheld console by using Qiling Partition Master, which can convert the file system from NTFS to FAT32 for SD cards under 32GB and format SDXC cards between 64GB and 128GB to FAT32.

Using Qiling Partition Wizard for 3DS SD Card Format

To prepare your SD card for use with the Nintendo 3DS, insert it into your computer's card reader and use Qiling's free partition manager to select and format the card with the FAT32 file system. When creating a partition, set the cluster size to 32KB and make it the primary partition - this will ensure compatibility with any 3DS.

• Free Download
• Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

Step 1. Launch Qiling Partition Master, right-click the partition you intend to format and select "Format".

Step 2. Enter the partition label, select the desired file system, and set the cluster size as needed, then click "Proceed" to continue the process.

Step 3. You will see a warning window, click "OK" to start formatting the partition to FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4. This will begin the partition formatting process.

• Free Download
• Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

Format SD Card for 3DS in Disk Management

To format a Nintendo 3DS SD card using Windows Disk Management, follow these steps: Open Windows Disk Management, select the SD card, right-click on it, and choose "Format" from the context menu. In the Format dialog box, choose the file system (FAT32 or exFAT) and allocation unit size, and click "OK" to confirm. This will erase all data on the SD card and prepare it for use with the Nintendo 3DS.

Step 1. To access the Windows Disk Management interface, press the keyboard shortcut Windows + X on your keyboard, which will open a menu with various options. From this menu, select the option to enter the Disk Management interface. This will open a new window where you can view the available hard drives and removable storage devices connected to your computer.

Step 2. To format the SD card for use with a Nintendo 3DS, right-click on the SD card and select the option to format it. Then, choose FAT32 as the file system to ensure compatibility with the 3DS.

Format 3DS SD Card in File Explorer

To format the memory card, go to File Explorer, select the memory card shown on the interface, and apply the format.

Step 1. To format the 3DS SD card, open File Explorer, right-click the 3DS SD card on the pop-menu, and select the "Format" option. This will erase all data on the card and prepare it for use with the Nintendo 3DS.

Step 2. Choose the FAT32 as your file system.

Format SD Card for 3DS in Command Prompt

Aside from the three methods mentioned earlier, we also recommend using CMD to manage partitions. To operate cmd, you need to execute the following commands one by one.

Step 1. Open Start Menu, run Command Prompt as administrator.

Step 2. Input the commands and press Enter.

To format a disk using Diskpart, start by typing "Diskpart" and pressing Enter, then type "list disk" to see a list of available disks. Select the disk you want to format by typing "select disk*" and pressing Enter, replacing * with the number of the disk you want to format.

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